The Safety of Secrets: A Fanfiction Mash-up
by Slbergen
Summary: Liesel confronts life in Nazi Germany while keeping a dangerous secret. Will Henry lives with a secret, a beast whose existence threatens human life. As the lives of these two characters coincide, what will happen when a mix up of letters and unexpected circumstances cause them to confront their fears and to reevaluate the secrets they are keeping?


In Markus Zusak's _The Book Thief_, Liesel confronts the harsh realities of life in Nazi Germany, while keeping a secret, the revealing of which could jeopardize her life and the lives of her foster parents. In _Monstrumologist, _young, orphaned Will Henry lives with the knowledge of a secret, a beast whose existence threatens human life. As the lives of these two characters coincide, what will happen when a mix up of letters and unexpected circumstances cause them to confront their fears and to reevaluate the secrets they are keeping?

**The Safety of Secrets**

**A Mash-Up of **_**The Book Thief **_**and **_**Monstrumologist**_

**By Sarah Bergen**

**Part I **

"And these are for you, as well. Your family left them for you."

Liesel took hold of the envelope that the man with the brown suit passed to her. It was long and sealed, with nothing written on the front. She put the envelope into her bag and turned toward the window, to watch Germany pass her by as she rode toward her new home.

"I think it's about time I give these to you, Will Henry," the doctor reached into his dresser drawer and withdrew a long, sealed envelope. "She left them for you-letters, I suppose."

The boy took the envelope and stroked his hand over the front and back. Then he hurriedly put it in his schoolbag. The doctor did have such strange timing. He was running late for the first day of classes; this hardly seemed the time to be giving him something so significant.

"Thank you!" he called as he rushed out the front door, leaving the Doctor at the table with his scones in front of him, searching through the front page of the newspaper.

Class was going to begin any minute now. Will Henry hurriedly approached the door of his classroom.

Room 666

Miss Crenshaw

He turned the corner into the classroom at the exact moment that Liesel turned into the room, arriving at her destination from the opposite direction. Bags collided, papers flew, mumbles were exchanged.

"I'm sorry." Will Henry spoke first.

"It's fine. Really." Liesel bent over and began picking up her papers. As she was ready to enter the classroom, she noticed the envelope on the floor and reached down to retrieve it.

Will Henry quickly sorted his things, placing his envelope back into his schoolbag where he had originally placed it. He still thought it strange that the doctor would give it to him at such an odd time. Maybe at lunch he would open it. No, better wait until he is home. You never do know when papers will start flying.

Liesel tried her hardest to pay attention to every word Miss Crenshaw spoke and took copious notes. It didn't take much to distract her, however. The day was beautiful, the window was right by her seat, and a few heads in front of her was a blond Rudy. Also, there was the envelope. She had forgotten about the envelope in all the hustle of her first day arriving at her foster home. Today, the second day in her new habitat, was the first day of school and full of new concerns of its own. Maybe tonight, when she was back in her room, she would venture a look at the contents of this envelope, the only remainder of her parents. What was it that they could not have told her to her face, but left for her to read later?

After dinner, in the safety of her bedroom, Liesel removed the first of the notes from the envelope and read.

My Dear,

I do not know how much longer we will be near each other, so I have chosen to write these words for you to have when I am gone. They are to guide you as your grow up, as my spoken words may fail to reach you. There is much that I would like to warn you about, and I can only hope that you will head my advice. You must understand that everything I tell you is to help you. I was not brave enough to change circumstances for you in my life. I can only hope that you will be braver than I.

Love,

Mother

After hours working with the doctor after school, Will Henry was tired and ready to sleep. As he lay down, he noticed the envelope protruding from his schoolbag. Retrieving it, he took out the letter on the top of the stack.

Dearest,

I hope that this letter finds you safe and well. I have decided to send you these letters for you to read as you grow up without me. I want you to know that my leaving you was not intentional. You are dear to my heart and always will be. I know that without me you will face trials. I am writing to give you strength to do the right thing even when it seems difficult. You must know that there is a war being fought, a war in which some people are fighting for what is right even when it is dangerous. This means secrets, dearest. And you must know how to regard secrets. What I have to tell you us of utmost value, so please regard my words.

All my love,

Your Mother

**Part II**

On a crisp fall day, a couple weeks into the school year, Liesel and Will Henry were walking home together. They had discovered soon after the first day of school that their houses were on the same block. Since then, it had become a routine to walk to and from school together. Most of these walks were spent in silence, with the occasional discussion of school events or people in the neighborhood. It was a routine, like any other routine.

As she began to walk toward her home, Liesel stopped and turned toward Will Henry.

"Hey," she began. She thought just then about telling Will Henry everything, about the Jew in the basement, about the secrets she was keeping. Papa had told her she must not tell anybody, or horrible things would happen. But why? What made this Jew so horrible that they had to hide him? She thought about the letters. At that moment, she instead decided to let Will Henry in only on a little secret, her thievery.

"I'm going out to get a book tonight. Usually Rudy comes with me, but he is sick. Do you want to come with me?"

"Where are you going?"

"Um . . . the mayor's wife has a library, I, um . . . borrow from. She lets me."

"Oh. No, I have work to do." The doctor would not be happy if he wasn't home, especially during this time of crisis. "But I don't think you should go out at night alone. The mayor's house is next to the graveyard. It can be scary at night."

"Oh, don't be so scared! I'll be fine!"

"I still don't think you should go." He decided not to push it. She could be pretty stubborn, and he knew how much she valued her books. Liesel realized that there was no convincing Will Henry either. She turned, waved, and walked toward her house.

As Will Henry walked through the door, a chill passed through him. There is a kind of eeriness when one knows that there is a monster in the basement, even though it is a dead monster. But who knows what else is out there? Maybe he should warn Liesel. He thought of her going out in the neighborhood by herself. Thoughts of Liesel stayed in the back of his mind as he worked with the doctor that evening. In the few moments before he was beckoned to begin this work, Will Henry took out and read another of the notes from his mother.

Dearest,

It may be difficult, but secrets sometimes are meant to be kept. I know that you will be expected to keep secrets at some point. It is good to be open with the people in your family, to be honest with those you love and trust. But when you are instructed to keep a secret by someone who you respect and trust, please do so. This war is full of secrets and keeping them could prove to be a matter of life and death. I only wish that I could be with you, to comfort and care for you. Yet I cannot be. So, please, be strong.

All my love,

Your Mother

Before dinner that evening, Liesel took a few moments to read another of her mother's notes.

My Dear,

Secrets can be very dangerous, no matter what anybody else tells you. They can ruin families; they surely seemed to ruin ours. It is difficult to live knowing that there is a monster hidden, a secret that should not be kept. I only hope that you have more wisdom than I did, that you will be brave. I can only speak from my experience, my dear, in telling you when to keep these secrets. Ultimately, it is up to you. I could not tell this to you in the presence of your father, for we both know that he had his own secrets. But those secrets can hurt, my dear.

Love,

Mother

**Part III**

It was that night that the fire happened.

Will Henry started at the sound of the doctor's voice. "Will Henreee!" This type of sudden disturbance was not unusual. However, when he came down the stairs to investigate the reason for the sudden disturbance, he saw the doctor at the window of the living room. A bright light inundated the room. He could see the dancing flames reflected in the doctor's eyes.

"There seems to be a fire at the mayor's house, Will Henry. Should we investigate it?"

Before he could think again, Will Henry had grabbed his hat off the hook and was out the door. It made no sense to him. He had no plan. He was running toward the smell that haunted him, the burning. He was approaching the graveyard, home of the kin to that beast hanging in the basement. But he went. What if Liesel was there right now? Was she safe?

As Will Henry arrived at the mayor's house, he saw Liesel standing outside of the window to the library, the same flames as those in the doctor's eyes dancing in hers. He could hear the roaring of the flames and as he looked up into the house, he saw it. Liesel must not have seen it, for her face registered no sign that she had seen anything so monstrous. Behind the flames, he saw first its teeth, shining in the light. In between the sharp pearls of its mouth was a collection of flesh, what looked like an arm, with streaks of red dripping down. On the end of the arm dangled a beautiful diamond bracelet. The mayor's wife. Will Henry inhaled sharply.

He then turned is attention to Liesel. Before he had a chance to speak, she began, without turning her face or eyes from the fire.

"It was dark in the library. I couldn't see any of the titles. I lit a candle . . ." Her voice did not waver, but she paused. After a moment, she continued, " . . .When I got home a realized that I had forgotten the book I had with me. I retrieved a new one, but I left the one I had in there . . . "

It was then the Will Henry saw, on the table, untouched by the flames, _The Whistler_. He imagined all those times that he saw Liesel with the book by her side, in her hands.

"I forgot to blow out the flame. I forgot. I didn't mean to . . . "

Her voice faded behind Will Henry as he ran toward the house. He climbed in through the window, feeling the heat on his face, his arms, the smell of burning flesh surrounding him. He lowered himself to the ground and crept toward the table where the book lay.

"Will Henry! What are you doing!?" Liesel's quiet voice had escalated to a shout.

He was at the base of the table when he saw its eyes turn. There was almost a pleading in them, although he could have been imagining it. The flames grew around the beast as he frantically turned from side to side, searching for a way out. The arm in his mouth flailed as it turned, blood rushing down as he gripped more tightly in its fear. Will Henry should have run. He had what he had come for; the book was safely in his arms. But Will Henry hesitated for a split second as he watched the monster. It had come to eat, a simple desire to satisfy an aching need. It now faced the same fate of its victim, the end. Was it worth it, my friend, was it worth the feast to face this fate?

It was then that Will Henry felt a sharp pain at his leg and remembered his need for escape. He sprinted toward the window, not daring to look behind him at the monster. Once he was back on the ground, he examined his leg. A slight burn, nothing too bad. He returned to Liesel's side and wordlessly handed her _The Whistler_. She uttered a thank you, not sure what else to say at the time.

That evening, after finishing a few more chapter of her book, Liesel took out a letter from the envelope, as was her custom in the evenings.

My Dear,

I am sorry, dear, I am sorry for all that you have had to go through, for all the times I wish I could have saved you. Your father was not present in your life as he should have been. He thought I did not know, but I was well aware. I kept the secret of the monsters in the basement. I kept the secret; I let it the fears reside in me. Maybe you will be able to help destroy those monsters before any real danger happens. I can only hope.

Love,

Mother

As he lay in bed that night, Will Henry's mind was filled with the imagery of the day. He sat up, then, giving up on the possibility of sleep for the moment, and turned on the lamp. On the table lay the envelope and he removed the next note.

Dearest,

I only hope that the war does not last long, that you find safety soon. Do all you can to do the right thing at the moment. Follow what you believe to be right. There is safety where you are. You will be taken care of and safe if you are able to be strong and to keep the secrets you need to keep. Remember, this is temporary. All will be okay soon.

All my love,

Your Mother

Two weeks after the fire, Liesel and Will Henry were walking home from school, as usual. Liesel's mind was once again preoccupied by the letters from her mother and by the Jew in her basement. The conversation was at a lull. Liesel turned to Will Henry.

"Do you think there are monsters out there?"

Will Henry thought back to the night of the fire. Liesel had not seen it, he was sure. If she had, she would have said something earlier. But why was she asking this question now?

"What do you mean by monsters?" He replied.

"Like . . . monsters. Dangerous things or . . . people . . . that hurt others, that are evil."

He thought of the beast in the basement and of the eyes pleading with him behind the flames. What if they weren't so monstrous? She thought of the man taking refuge in her basement and of the cruelties she had heard uttered against his people. But how could he be a monster? The silence between them ached to be filled. At that moment, both Liesel and Will Henry saw their secrets filling the void, escaping from their consciences to be retrieved by listening ears. In the end, however, the void remained. They reached Liesel's home and she turned, called good-bye and disappeared behind the gate. Some secrets, they both concluded, are meant to be kept.


End file.
